History Poll: Which of Henry VIII's Six Wives are You? SelectSmart.com Free Online Polls, Opinion Surveys, Fun Poll Voting Vote
  
History Poll: Which of Henry VIII's Six Wives are You? SelectSmart.com Free Online Polls, Opinion Surveys, Fun Poll Voting Vote
graphHistoryHistory Poll: Which of Henry VIII's Six Wives are You?
Vote for your top choice from the list below. This poll is based upon the selector "Which of Henry VIII's Six Wives are You?" by Mary Elizabeth Edwards.
Translate:

Choose from this list:

Katherine of Aragon: (wife #1) daughter of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, Katherine first married Henry's older brother Arthur, who died only months after the wedding. Henry married her shortly after he came to the throne. Though she was often pregnant during their long marriage, only one of her children, Mary, survived. In the 1530s, Henry broke with the Catholic church to get an annulment to his and Katherine's marriage. He wanted to marry a younger woman who could give him a son.

Anne Boleyn: (wife #2)the younger woman who could give him a son. Anne was in her 20s when Henry began to court her. She had lived much of her life in Burgundy and France and was well versed in courtly behavior. After a more than 10 year ordeal of breaking with the church and annulling his marriage to Katherine, Henry secretly married Anne--she was a few months pregnant at the time. The baby was a girl, Elizabeth. Anne, too, had failed Henry, as she went on to miscarry her next pregnancy. Eventually the powerful nobles in court turned Henry against her, and, after 1000 days as queen, she was executed for adultery, incest, and witchcraft.

Jane Seymour: (wife #3) Anne's replacement, a pious, docile, well-born lady from a powerful family, who married the King because her brothers told her to. Jane was queen for about 18 months, though Henry never had her crowned (he was waiting until she gave birth to a boy). She died of puerperal fever just 12 days after delivering Henry's long awaited boy, Edward.

Anne of Cleves: (wife #4) Henry wanted a diplomatic marriage after Jane died, and after much debate with the French and Imperial ambassadors, Henry sought a weaker ally, the Duke of Cleves the leader of a non Papal yet Catholic duchy in the low countries. Anne and Henry were betrothed without having ever met each other. While this was normal in diplomatic marriages, the culture shock proved to be to much for Henry, who was disgusted by his Dutch speaking wife who dressed funny and could neither sing nor dance. Anne herself was quite intelligent, though not particularly well educated, and was not the "Flanders Mare" history has remembered her as, but she was no great beauty either. The marriage was annulled after only a few months, and had never been consummated, but Anne remained in England as Henry's sister.

Catherine Howard: (wife #5)Henry became infatuated with the 18 year old soon after he annulled his marriage to Anne of Cleves. Catherine was Anne Boleyn's second cousin, but had a much different upbringing. She spent all of her life in England, and from the age of 15 had had a series of serious relationships with different men, which her family desperately tried to cover up, especially once the king began to express interest in her. She did not cease her wanton behaviour after her marriage, however, and Henry soon found out. Catherine, her lovers, and her lady-in-waiting were all executed. Catherine had been queen for 18 months, was never crowned, and had not yet reached her 21st birthday.

Katherine Parr: (wife #6) Katherine was more a nurse than a wife, in his old and sick state, Henry did not make much of a husband. Katherine had been twice widowed, and, though childless, loved children, and was the one wife who truly embraced Henry's children and tried to normalize relations between them and the king (as much as relations in a royal family can be normalized). She was very intelligent, and taught herself Latin as an adult. She was the only queen who was able to save herself when she did something to greatly offend the king. After Henry's death she married Thomas Seymour, the younger of Jane's brothers, and Lord Admiral. She died after delivering the old child she ever had.

   


See the newest and search for polls here: